Sign up to our mailing list for the latest Boat International & Events news.

Missing your newsletter?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which came in to effect on the 25th May might mean that you’ve stopped receiving emails from us. To make sure you don’t miss out on any more emails from Boat International update your email preferences now.

Young Designer of the Year 2016 finalists visit Oceanco

The Dutch yard invited this year’s finalists to its headquarters to see what goes on behind the scenes. The trip began with dinner in Amsterdam and a chance to get to know group marketing manager, Paris Baloumis and brand and events coordinator, Iris Bosschaart.

Oceanco's Iris Bosschaart and Paris Baloumis treat the young designers to a night out

On the following day, the finalists discussed their designs with director of design and innovation, Dirk de Jong and head of design, Patrick Casanova who gave detailed feedback. Next up was a presentation from Martin Selles, head of fleet support, which discussed operational items and experiences.

The young designers also enjoyed a hands-on experience, experimenting with the Bolidt synthetic system, which is used for flooring on board Oceanco’s yachts. The group were then taken on a tour of Oceanco’s state-of-the-art dry dock and given a chance to see some of the Dutch yard’s unique in-build projects at Alblasserdam.

Started in 2008, the Young Designer of the Year Award aims to celebrate the best superyacht design from trainee and student designers under the age of 26. All entries need to be technically feasible and geared around a superyacht lifestyle, and the 2016 finalists certainly fit the bill.

The 2016 Young Designer of the Year finalists were Baoqi Xiao (who won the €5,000 top prize), Lujac Desautel, Leah Gowoon Park, Ben Hills, Marlena Ratajska and Dave Rowles (who was unable to attend the Oceanco visit).

This website uses cookies for analytics, marketing, advertising and functional purposes, in line with our privacy policy. To change your cookie settings or find out more, click here. If you continue browsing our website, you accept these cookies. Got it!